"Yes, Madam." Qin Yong slipped away quietly.
The allotted time passed, and Vice Dean Ge Hong rose to his feet, his voice resounding across the plaza. "The final round of Star Academy's year-end exam begins now. The rules remain as always: in martial combat, stop at the point of victory. Deliberate injury or killing is strictly forbidden, and violators will face severe punishment."
With that, Ge Hong glanced at the presiding instructors.
One stepped forward, announcing, "The first round of matches begins now."
He reached into a wooden box filled with nameplates inscribed with the students' names, drawing two at random. "First match: Zuo Guang versus Li Feng."
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Two students leaped to the center of the plaza. One wielded a saber, his blade flashing with fierce momentum, while the other employed palm techniques, his gloved hands moving like rolling waves. At the instructor's signal, they clashed, trading blows in a heated exchange that captivated the crowd.
The arena matches allowed weapons, and the saber-wielding student's technique was relentless, forcing his opponent to retreat. But the palm user was no pushover, skillfully defending himself, his palms weaving an impervious barrier as he sought openings to counterattack.
Both were at Human-Level Late Stage, evenly matched, and their duel stretched to sixty or seventy exchanges.
"Cloak-Sweeping Saber Technique!"
"Corpse-Splitting Palm!"
Unwilling to drag it out, both unleashed their ultimate techniques. Saber light clashed with palm energy, erupting in a thunderous boom.
Bang!
Zuo Guang, the saber user, gained the upper hand. His blade sliced through his opponent's palm shadows, leaving a gash on Li Feng's robe and drawing blood. Seizing the moment, Zuo Guang pressed forward, striking Li Feng's chest with the flat of his blade. Li Feng flew backward, coughing blood, unable to rise.
"Zuo Guang wins!" the instructor declared.
The second match followed swiftly.
This round's competitor, Chen Shaoqing, was unfortunate, drawing the tournament favorite, Li Qingfeng.
"Surrender now," Li Qingfeng said calmly as he stepped onto the stage, his demeanor serene, barely sparing Chen Shaoqing a glance.
"Li Qingfeng, you may be strong, but I, Chen Shaoqing, want to test myself against you!" Chen Shaoqing roared, incensed by the dismissive attitude. He charged, his body a whirlwind of force.
"Vajra's Furious Gaze!"
Boom!
The air exploded with a deafening roar. Chen Shaoqing's arms coiled like iron balls, his charge resembling a mountain barreling forward.
Bang!
In an instant, he was sent flying back the way he came, the crisp snap of breaking bones echoing. Chen Shaoqing crashed to the ground, his arms twisted unnaturally, blood spurting from his mouth.
"Li Qingfeng wins!" the instructor announced.
Li Qingfeng leaped lightly off the stage, never once looking at his opponent.
"Chen Shaoqing was asking for it, not surrendering against Li Qingfeng," someone muttered.
"Both are advanced-class students, but the gap between them is massive."
"Against Li Qingfeng, a regular advanced-class student can't last one move."
As the crowd buzzed, the instructor drew the next pair.
Match after match unfolded—some fiercely contested, others decided in moments.
Learning from Chen Shaoqing's mistake, one student, facing Wang Qiming, surrendered immediately. No one mocked him. Wang Qiming was one of the three Earth-Level Early Stage prodigies, untouchable even for peak Human-Level Late Stage students. For an ordinary student, fighting him was pointless.
Eighth Round.
"Next match: Xiong Tao versus Qin Chen."
At the sound of his name, Qin Chen's expression remained calm as he leaped onto the stage.
Xiong Tao's face darkened. A recent addition to the advanced class, his Human-Level Late Stage cultivation was solid but not veteran-level. He'd have been confident against any other advanced-class student, but Qin Chen filled him with unease.
"Qin Chen, don't think defeating Li Ping and Zhou Nan makes you invincible. Every advanced-class student masters different martial skills, and our strengths vary vastly," Xiong Tao barked as he stepped up, trying to bolster his courage.
"Done talking? Then let's begin," Qin Chen replied coolly.
He saw through Xiong Tao's bluster—the words were merely a facade to mask his fear. With a swift movement, Qin Chen circulated his true qi and threw a punch.
The strike was plain, devoid of any apparent sharpness.
"Haha, he's underestimating me! Perfect!" Xiong Tao's heart leaped with glee. Pushing his true qi to its limit, he countered with a punch of his own.
"Overlord Lifts the Cauldron!"
Boom!
The air thundered as if struck by lightning, exploding with a deafening roar.
"Underestimate me? Get off the stage!" Xiong Tao roared.
Born with immense strength, he possessed fifteen horsepower compared to the average Human-Level Late Stage's ten. Seizing Qin Chen's perceived carelessness, he poured every ounce of power into his strike, aiming to blast Qin Chen off the stage.
Pfft!
Their fists collided, and Xiong Tao's triumphant expression froze. His pupils contracted as an overwhelming force surged through him, his arm creaking under the strain.
In the next moment, he was sent flying, blood spraying midair.
The audience gasped, stunned. They'd expected a prolonged clash, not a one-move defeat.
On the stands, Qin Yuechi's face lit with joy and disbelief at her son's strength. Zhao Feng and Prince Qi, however, scowled, their faces ashen.
Among the competitors below, Qin Fen sneered, "Keep acting arrogant, Qin Chen. When you face me next, you'll regret making it this far."
Qin Chen's victory caused a stir but didn't overly shock the crowd. His earlier triumphs over Li Ping and Zhou Nan had already proven his prowess.
"Heh, Master Liang, your favored Qin Chen is indeed exceptional," Prince Kang said with a smile, aware of Liang Yu's high regard for Qin Chen. "I heard just over a month ago, he was only Human-Level Early Stage. To break through to Late Stage and display such martial prowess in so short a time… I wager he could crack the top ten this exam."
Liang Yu's brow twitched. He glanced at Prince Kang but said nothing.
Top ten?
That was underestimating Qin Chen. For reasons he couldn't explain, Liang Yu felt an unshakable certainty: in a real fight, even Earth-Level prodigies like Li Qingfeng might not be Qin Chen's match.
The matches continued.
The most anticipated bout was Zhao Lingshan's, but it disappointed. Following Li Qingfeng and Wang Qiming's examples, her opponent surrendered immediately, leaving the crowd grumbling.
The thirteenth round arrived.
"Thirteenth match: Qin Fen versus Zhang Ying."
Zhang Ying's face paled.
"How could it be him?" Lin Tian, standing nearby, looked equally grim.